Super Smash Bros. Patch Removes Major Exploits

Nintendo released a new patch for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS heading into the weekend, adding a new tournament mode, new stages, as well as some major exploit fixes.

Unfortunately, Nintendo still hasn't caught up with the rest of the gaming world when it comes to online functionality and updates. They've taken huge strides forward, boasting a decently stable online component for Smash and *gasp* even some DLC, but nobody at the Big N apparently got the memo that gamers like to know what's been changed in their game when a new patch comes out, especially if said game is a competitive fighter.

Thankfully, the Nintendo community has stepped in to fill the gaps, reporting a large number of findings over on the Smash Boards forums.

As for those undocumented changes to character balance and whatnot, players are still trying to discover all of the alterations on their own, but Shoryuken is reporting that at least a few major standouts have been confirmed.

For starters, Pikachu's infuriating ability to pull off an infinite Thunder Wave has been nixed, as well as that goofy Pac-Man trampoline glitch that would drop players through the stage. Marth's normal attacks no longer take so long to recover from, and the Wii Fit Trainer now packs more of a punch across their variety of moves.

Next up, let's dip into the information that Nintendo actually made available: The new tournament mode, some new costumes for your Mii characters and a couple of new stages.

The tournament mode being bolted onto Smash for Wii U boasts similar structures to those seen in previous titles, including both Community and Regular tournaments. Community events, unsurprisingly enough, will allow players to create their own parameters and then invite a whole bunch of people in to duke it out. I believe the ladders allow for up to 16 players to join a tournament. Regular tournaments, on the other hand, will boast official rules used at most Smash events, as well as events Nintendo plans to host through the game itself at a future date.

A pair of old-school stages are being added with this update, too, including Peach's Castle and Hyrule Castle from the Nintendo 64 version of Smash. Those are premium content, though, and can be yours for $1.99 each or $2.99 as a bundle.

Finally, there's another bundle of costumes for your Mii characters to enjoy, including K. Rool from Donkey Kong Country, as well as Chrom from Fire Emblem Awakening.

Again, it's super nice to see Nintendo trying to step up its support game when it comes to titles like Smash Bros, Mario Kart and Splatoon, but a little more information about what's being changed would be a welcome addition to the process.